Awards & Honors

2014

The play With Two Wings - written by Anne Negri and premiered at Childsplay - receives the Distinguished Play of the Year Award from the American Alliance of Theatre and Education.

Childsplay and Encanto Elementary School receive a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education to implement and evaluate a model for integrating theatre arts across three different language streams: mainstream classes, structured English immersion classes, and dual language classrooms where the pedagogy is half-and-half English and Spanish.

2013

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation awards Childsplay $155,000 to implement The “El Puente Project," a project focused on building demand for the performing arts through work with Resident Artist, Zarco Guerrero.

2012

The Helios Foundation awards Childsplay a substantial grant to implement its Early Youth Educators at Play (Eye-Play) program in pre-school classrooms throughout the greater Phoenix area. The program introduces pre-school teachers to experiential learning techniques that encourage literacy learning for 3 to 5 year olds.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation awards Childsplay and the Indiana Repertory Theatre $100,000 to implement Write Now, a TYA new play development festival.

2008

Childsplay receives a “Think It” grant from Theatre Communications Group to create new ways to build scenery that is more environmentally friendly.

2007

Childsplay receives the Tempe Chamber of Commerce's Business Excellence Award.

2006

Childsplay receives a four-year $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to implement, evaluate, and disseminate a model for integrating theatre arts across the middle school curriculum.

2006

Childsplay performs its world premiere production of Tomas and the Library Lady for First Lady Laura Bush at the Guadalupe Boys & Girls Club. The play was also invited to the national conference of the American Library Association.

2005

The play Eric and Elliot - written by Childsplay Associate Artist Dwayne Hartford and premiered at Childsplay - receives the Distinguished Play of the Year Award from the American Alliance of Theatre and Education.

2002

David Saar receives the Arizona State University Herberger College of Fine Arts Notable Achievement Award.

American Theatre magazine names Childsplay one of the top four theatre companies for young audiences in the United States.

2000

The play And Then They Came for Me receives the Shofar Zakhor Award of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association.

1999

Childplay is named the United States nominee for the President's Award of ASSITEJ, the International Organization for Theatre for Young Audiences.

1998

David Saar receives the Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education for his play The Yellow Boat.

1996

Achieved Basic Aid status with the Arizona Commission on the Arts, as one of the ten leading arts organizations in Arizona.

1995

Childsplay was named Arts Organization of the Year by the Phoenix Business Volunteers for the Arts.

1994

The Yellow Boat, was recognized at the Best Production for Children, Best Production of a New Work, Best Script by an Arizona Playwright, and Dwayne Hartford Best Male Supporting Performance, by the Greater Phoenix Theater Critics Circle awards

1992

Received one of the first eight grants awarded nationally by the Lila Wallace/Readers Digest Fund for theatre for young audiences to create the new play Hush: An Interview with America.

David Saar receives Distinguished Achievement Award from Arizona State University’s College of Fine Arts

1991

Childsplay performs The Masquerade of Life/La Mascarada de la Vida at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC

1991

David Saar receives the National Winifred Ward "Dare to Dream" Fellowship for creating his original play, The Yellow Boat. The play was also the first time Childsplay is represented at the New Visions/New Voices Playwriting Development program, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC

1989

David Saar receives Arizona Governor's Arts Award for his contributions to the arts in Arizona.

1988

Senators' Cultural Award, East Valley Cultural Alliance, for contributions to assure audiences today and for the future.

1986

Childsplay receives Special Recognition Citation from American Association of Theatre for Youth for continued excellence and effectiveness in the field of children's theatre.

1981

Children’s Theatre Association of America presents Childsplay its award for Outstanding New Children's Theatre Company Award.